Tommy85: howdy!

[Tommy85]

Hi all, I am a Psychotherapist and I have been on antidepressants myself now for around 15 years. I begun my journey with Paxil and switched to Lexapro after the therapeutic value dropped off. The same has happened with Lexapro after some years and I am now tapering off with the goal to come off completely. Currently on 5mg after a 10mg/5mg alternating schedule over one month. The prominent discontinuation symptoms seem to persistent nausea, fatigue, light headaches and general lethargy. Hoping to learn more about tapering from you all and have some support on this journey :) 

[ChessieCat]

Hi Tommy and welcome to SA,

 

I'm am glad that you found SA.  There is a lot of valuable information on this site and hopefully you might learn some things to help your patients trying to get off psychiatric drugs and possibly even inform some of your peers about the better way to get off them using a harm reduction method.

 

8 minutes ago, Tommy85 said:

I begun my journey with Paxil and switched to Lexapro after the therapeutic value dropped off.

 

The technical term for this is tachyphylaxis, also known as poop out or the drug reaching tolerance.  I have experienced this myself.

 

tolerance-or-poop-out-or-tachyphylaxis

 

Please create your drug signature and show the drug name, dose and the date you started that dose.  We don't need any other explanations except state when you alternated doses.  If we want more we will ask you to provide it.  The second link goes straight to your own signature.  This is different from the information you provided when you joined the site and will appear below each post.  Please update it whenever you make a change.

 

Instructions:  Withdrawal History Signature

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

 

13 minutes ago, Tommy85 said:

Currently on 5mg after a 10mg/5mg alternating schedule over one month.

 

Please read this:

 

NEVER SKIP DOSES TO TAPER

 

SA's taper rate is no more than 10% of the current dose followed by a hold of about 4 weeks to allow the brain to adapt to not getting as much of the drug:

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist

 

 

From what you have written I am assuming the following:  you were taking 20mg Lexapro, and then for the last 4 weeks you were alternating 10mg/5mg Lexapro (average 7.5mg per day) and have only just started taking 5mg every day.

 

It the above assumption is correct then you made equal to a 25% reduction one month ago and have just done another 25% reduction.

 

If you only reduced to 5mg in the last few days (it takes about 4 days for a dose to get to full strength in the blood and a bit longer for it to register in the brain) my suggestion would be to start taking 7.5mg every day at about the same time of day.

 

Post #1 of this topic explains how to get non standard doses:

 

Tips for tapering off escitalopram (Lexapro)

 

After doing this you would need to hold on that dose for at least 3 months or more until you stabilise.  I will give the links in a separate post.

 

This is your own Introduction topic and is where you post questions and updates.  This will keep your history in one place and means you won't have to repeat your story.

 

 

 

 

 

[ChessieCat]

SA strongly encourages members to learn and use non drug coping to get through difficult time:

 

Non-drug techniques to cope

 

Post #1 of the following topic has links to monthly versions of the WD symptom list, printable and computer, so you can rate your symptoms:

 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen's Withdrawal Symptoms

 

It is important to listen to your body/symptoms and not to taper again until you are stable:

 

Stability

 

WDnormal

 

And Brassmonkey talks more about it here:

 

tao-of-the-brassmonkey

[Tommy85]

Hi Chessie,

 

Thanks very much for your detailed reply, observations and thorough associated information! 

 

So I have been taking 10mg Lexapro for around one year and then 4 weeks ago switched to the 10mg/5mg alternating schedule. For around 4 days I have been taking the 5mg Lexapro only. 

 

Do you still suggested a decrease to 7.5mg rather than 5mg based on this? 

 

I will update my signature also

[ChessieCat]

You are very welcome.  Thank you for clarifying your reductions.

 

It might be better to take 6.75mg which would have been a 10% reduction on 7.5mg (average of 10/5).

[Tommy85]

Escitalopram to Fluoxetine?

 

Hi guys, 

 

Does anyone have any information or success stories about switching from Escitalopram to Fluoxetine and then tapering off completely? 

 

The reason I ask is that I know Fluoxetine has a much longer half life and therefore theoretically easier / softer to taper off from in a shorter period of time. (Don't get me wrong, I'm in the for long haul regardless). I've tried to taper off Escitalopram before and been unsuccessful. 

 

Currently in the process of what would be a long taper to eventually get off of Escitalopram and just curious to know if this is an option (also if cross-taper or straight switch is realistic).

 

Thanks! 

 

Edited July 17, 2022 by ChessieCat
added topic title before merging with intro topic

[ChessieCat]

Nobody can say whether it would work or not.  We have seen SA members for whom it did and others for whom it caused a lot of suffering.

 

Please carefully and thoroughly read the information in Post #1 this topic

 

the-prozac-switch-or-bridging-with-fluoxetine